What is the ‘Right to Manage’?
As a council tenant, under the Housing Act 1985 (amended in 2012), you have a Right to Manage. This means you have a right to take over responsibility for managing your housing services from Folkestone & Hythe District Council by grouping together with other tenants to form a Tenant Management Organisation. To do this you would have to follow the Right to Manage process. Information can be found on the government website: legislation.gov.uk.
What is a tenant management organisation (TMO)?
A TMO is an independent legal group run by tenants. It takes on responsibility for managing housing services for a group of homes. TMOs can be small—managing just a few homes—or large, covering thousands of properties across a geographical area or estate. Single tenants cannot create a TMO and manage their own services.
Most TMOs employ staff such as housing managers, caretakers, and repair workers, while smaller ones may rely on volunteers. Members elect a tenant-led committee to run the organisation, and the TMO signs a legal contract with the council. The council pays the TMO an allowance based on what it would normally spend on those services.
What services can a TMO manage?
Services vary, but may include:
- Day-to-day repairs
- Allocations and lettings
- Tenancy management
- Cleaning and caretaking
- Rent collection
Any services the TMO doesn’t take on will still be provided by the council. Importantly, your tenancy rights stay the same—the council remains your landlord.
How do you set up a TMO?
You’ll need to:
- Work with other tenants to decide which services you want to manage.
- Engage with residents and gain their support.
- Show that your group has the skills and knowledge to run these services
- The law includes safeguards to make sure TMOs only take on management if they have tenant backing and can operate effectively.
Right to transfer
Tenants also have the right to explore transferring homes from the council to a private registered provider of social housing. This process involves:
- A tenant-led proposal
- Formal consultation and a ballot
- Approval from the Secretary of State
The council must cooperate but can ask to stop the transfer if it would harm local housing services.
If you would like to find out more about either of these options you can email: housing.service@folkestone-hythe.gov.uk or call: 01303 853300.